The present invention relates to a system and method for automated data capture of sequential form numbers at a collator/press assembly machine.
Currently, multi-part forms are used to provide multiple copies of business information such as for shipping. Information is typed or written in pre-printed fields on the top form part and is transmitted to multiple underlying form parts which also include the same pre-printed fields as the top form. (For example, a multi-part shipping form may include a shipping receipt part, a shipping label part and a billing label part.) For tracking purposes, the multi-part forms often have a field containing a sequential form number. Each of the multiple parts of a form has the same form number, which differs from the form number of any other multi-part form.
Typically, multiple parts of the forms are printed separately (to allow for different colors, different printing on the back side, etc.). When the multiple parts of the forms are collated or otherwise assembled, it is desirable to check that each part of the form has the same sequential form number. However, some current systems to check the form numbers use expensive camera equipment which captures the image of each number on each part of the form. Such commercially available equipment generally is very expensive and requires complex systems. Other systems rely on an operator manually verifying that each part of the form has the same form number, and thus are subject to normal human error. Furthermore, the currently available systems do not provide for the storage or entry of this process check data into a computer-readable form such as a spreadsheet.
There is a need to provide a system and method for automated data capture of sequential form numbers at a collator/press assembly machine.